Chapter 6

Aira’s POV

“Alex!” I moaned loudly as he suddenly collapsed on top of me.

We were both panting, trying to catch our breath. I could feel the heat radiating off him as he lay there, pressed against me.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. The first time we had shared something so intense, I thought it would be the last.

But now, here we were, caught in a whirlwind of emotions and confusion. The bond we had shared had somehow turned into something more—something that neither of us had expected.

My mind snapped back to reality, and that’s when it hit me. I suddenly realized that he had teased me earlier, making me feel like I was just being used.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart, which was still racing uncontrollably. I tried to steady myself, but the emotions swirling inside me were overwhelming. And then, without warning, Alexander moved.

He shifted on top of me, and I could feel the weight of him leave as he rolled over to lie beside me. There was a moment of silence, and I decided to use that moment as an opportunity to ask him something.

“Can I ask you something?” I said, my voice shaky but filled with a mix of curiosity and fear.

He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he just nodded his head slightly, his expression unreadable. It was as though he was silently urging me to ask whatever was on my mind, to get it off my chest.

Here it goes…

“A-Are you still going to marry your true Luna?” I asked, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

I had heard whispers among the pack members, especially from the elders and the higher-ranking wolves who looked down on me. They spoke about it as if it were already decided, as if my feelings and my place in this world didn’t matter. I thought Alexander would answer me calmly, maybe even reassure me. But instead, his reaction was far from what I had expected.

He suddenly moved, as if irritated by the question, his face hardening into something I couldn’t decipher. He sat up, his back turned to me, and I could feel the tension in the air.

“You’re not concerned with my affairs,” he said, his voice cold and dismissive. “You shouldn’t care about this. Stay out of it—who I want to marry or not.”

His words stung more than I could have imagined. They felt like a slap across my face. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, but I pushed it down. At the same time, the arrogance in his tone pissed me off.

He suddenly stood up from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed. I couldn’t help it—my eyes wandered, tracing the lines of his body. His physique was perfect, like it had been sculpted by a master.

Every muscle, every curve of his body seemed so unreal, like something out of a dream. But as much as I wanted to focus on him, I quickly reminded myself to push those thoughts away.

There was no time to focus on his body, or what had happened between us. What mattered now was what he had just said, and the way he dismissed me.

“If that’s the case, then let me go…” I said, my voice trembling with frustration and hurt.

“I can’t take the humiliation your pack keeps throwing at me. Your elders, your servants—especially the servants! They treat me like I’m nothing, like I have no worth here. Just a burden you brought in. They make me feel so small, like I don’t belong. Do you even know what they say about me? That I’m just another mouth to feed, making life harder for all of you? Please, just let me go. I’ll return to my family!”

I could feel the tears pricking at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I was tired of feeling like I didn’t belong. Tired of being treated like I was less than everyone else in the pack. All I wanted was to be treated with some respect, to feel like I mattered.

“Enough!”

I flinched at the sound of his voice, which was so loud and filled with rage. It cut through the air, sharp and painful. He stood over me, fists clenched, his body rigid with fury. His eyes were wild, burning with a kind of intensity I had never seen before.

“You are my fated mate,” he growled, his voice rough and dangerous. “Whether you love me or not, you belong to me. You will not take a single step out of this pack without my permission. And if you do, I will hunt you down for the rest of your life. Trust me, you won’t like the way I claim what’s mine.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My body froze, and I could feel my heart drop into my stomach. This was not the man I had hoped to see—this was not the man I had imagined.

Before I could respond, he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with such force that the walls shook. I stood there, completely frozen, unable to move or think.

My heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces.

Alexander’s POV

The moment the door slammed, the sound echoing in my ears, I could feel my anger rising. I hadn’t even realized how hard I had slammed it until the sound reverberated throughout the room.

What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I letting her get to me like this? I clenched my fists tightly, trying to force the anger down, but it was impossible. The way she looked at me—so broken, so hurt—it was like a damn wound in my chest.

Without thinking, I stormed out of the room. My bare feet hit the cold floor. I didn’t care that I was still shirtless, that people were staring at me as I walked past. I didn’t care about the whispers or the way their eyes followed me. I needed to be busy. I needed to do something—anything to get my mind off of her.

“Alpha, have you seen the omega? We’re searching for her. Earlier, she disrespected you, and we’re going to punish her for what she’s done to you.”

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Lucius, my beta, approached me. His voice was filled with anger, his eyes hard with frustration, but I didn’t feel like dealing with that right now. My patience was already stretched thin.

I raised my hand, cutting him off before he could go any further. “Don’t bother. I’ve already punished her. She’s in a room here in the Grand Hall. Just keep watch over her—make sure she doesn’t escape. She’s in the farthest room at the end of the hall.”

“Yes, Alpha. Understood.”

Lucius turned to leave, but then I stopped him. Something about the way he said “punish” didn’t sit right with me.

“And don’t you ever go inside that room. Just guard the door. Be quick—she might try to get away.”

Lucius gave me a sharp nod, his expression unreadable. “Yes, Alpha.”

As he left, I felt the tension in my chest tighten again. What the hell was I doing? Why did I feel so conflicted about Aira? Every time I tried to push the thoughts away, they came back stronger. She was my mate, and I couldn’t let her go. But the damn alliance with Cassandra—the responsibility of being the Alpha—it all felt like it was suffocating me.

I spent the rest of the day doing what I could to distract myself. But nothing worked. My mind kept wandering back to her.

As the night grew darker, I finally caught a glimpse of her. Aira had stepped out of the room, and I could see Lucius escorting her toward the main house. Her eyes downcast, avoiding mine, as if she were scared of looking at me. And yet, despite her avoiding me, I could still see the pain in her eyes.

"Alpha," Lucius called out to me as he approached. "There are too many people in the Grand Hall, and it would be best to move her somewhere more private where she won’t draw attention."

I thought for a moment. I didn’t want to deal with her. I didn’t want to face the situation, not yet. But at the same time, I knew Lucius was right. It was better to keep her out of the public eye.

I looked at her, my gaze locking on her for a moment. She didn’t look up, but I could see the way she kept her distance, her body language closed off.

“Go ahead,” I said finally, my voice firm. “Take her to our room.”

Lucius nodded and left, taking her with him. I watched them go, but I didn’t follow. I knew I needed space, too. I needed to think, to gather myself before I made any more decisions. But as soon as they were out of my sight, my thoughts began to spiral again.

I knew I had to find a way out of this mess.